August 14th
We left Mullan this morning at ~6:15 and headed up Boulder Creek. Although the sun was up, the steep sides of the canyon and the dense overstory provided a cool shade. After a few miles, the old road swung aggressively up hill...the creek-following rd I had intended to hike was no where to be seen, but the ATV's had converted the old West Willow Peak trail into a rte...a very steep rte as it turned out! Ugh. Rugged enough, but the additional burden of 10 days of food was working me over. About a 1/2 mile from the ridge we stopped for a break and to fill up with spring water for the day as the coming miles were dry ridgeline. Always have to look forward to adding even more weight o the pack. Ugh again.
We finally gained the ridge after a long morning of climbing and enjoyed a leisurely contour for ~1 mile before the trail went into asskick mode again. Steep single track climbed to Stewart's Peak and then stayed on the rocky ridge until just above Upper Stevens Lake. From there the trail contoured nicely for a bit before joining an ATV rte and returning to its bad habits...steep ups, steep downs, and little flat ground in between. Certainly fatiguing, and not too aesthetic. Spotting a patch of snow in the trees we descended to a saddle and stopped for lunch just before Bullion Pass. WD did his snow roll to cool off and I crammed my bottles full of snow.
An hr later we packed up and headed on our way. WD had blown his energy carrying food up from the valley, so I somehow managed to smash the 3 days of doggie kibble into my pack...good company for the other 7 days of dog food that I was already hauling. Ah, the things we do for companionship!
With WD's load lightened, he managed to keep pace most of the afternoon, but definitely began to show his fatigue by 3 pm as we were walking along FR 391. It appears this rd was recently graded as the surface is very soft and very dusty. Nice and cushy on the feet, but quite dirty and irritating when the wind blows. Thus far we've been fortunate to miss any vehicular traffic as we'd be coated in fine silt upon passing. Another benefit of the rd surface is the ease in which to see animal tracks. Plenty of deer, elk, wolf, and I think cougar. Lots of critters about...
We pulled off the rd and made camp near Dominion Creek Rd. An unfortunate dry camp, but another 5 miles to water was out of the question for WD. He is tuckered.
Stopping at 4 pm has left me with entirely too much time to entertain myself which generally leads to frustration for me. A busy body needs to stay busy! I had no luck finding any books (excuse me, a book!) in Mullan, so I am stuck with the scenery and my brain for the evening. Seeing as how the scenery is bland tonight, that leaves my brain. Sometimes that is good, other times not so much! Depending on one's state of mind, doing nothing can either be a positive exercise or an incredibly negative one! All a matter of perspective at a given moment I suppose. As it is this evening, I am finding myself leaning towards the pessimistic.
BrianAugust 15th
Got up after a fitful night...started walking. I'll be on rd 391 for the next day and a half, so there is not much to report. We did pass through a Forest Service `Bear Lure Area' where the sign informed us that we should either turnaround or proceed quickly.
Within a mile of the sign, there were very discernable black bear tracks meandering up the road, no doubt headed to that 100 gallon drum of chicken fat...
After ~5 miles we veered off trail to drop .80 of a mile to a lake to hydrate and refill bottles for the next 20 miles. I'd say a 1/3 of the distance was actual trail, the rest was a thrashing! Not much in the way of trail despite what the map denotes, and an effort that made me question if I would have remained more hydrated without doing so!
After reversing the thrash, it was back to Rd 391. Although I want to go into a rd walk rant, I am going to refrain in an attempt to make this day as positive as possible...the skies are blue, there is no traffic, and a slight breeze blows.
Stopped for lunch just below Craddock Peak at a motorized person's camp...lots of logs sawn like chairs, which has made for comfortable eating Almost reminds me of my leather recliner back home.
Its 12:30 and only 8 miles remain to camp above Square Lake. Looks to be another night staring at my navel...
After lunch, more of the same: plodding along FR 391. I did notice a fire burning to the SW, but nothing that looks to come into play for me thankfully.
I soon reached the TH for Crystal Lake and I thought I might drop down for water but figured with only ~3 miles to camp and water it'd would be foolish to do so despite the most welcome change in scenery. So...onward. Jean and her dawg Rumble passed us as she drove to campout someplace up the road as well as a family out on ATV's for the afternoon. It'll be good to be off 391 by noon tomorrow as I am sure I am likely to see more folks and eat more dust over the weekend.
Upon arriving at a car camp above Square Lake I dropped the pack and hiked around a bit in hopes of finding a suitable stealth camp above where the cars park so I would not have to camp at the lake where I assume the skeeters would be far worse. Finding a spot, I then made my way down to the lake to rehydrate as well as fill and lug water back up to the ridge. The trail down was dangerously steep and I progressed slowly knowing that with a days worth of fatigue in my legs, my brakes (quads) would be slow to respond. About half way down to the Lake, the trail narrowed as it worked its way through a cliffband. Things were a bit sporty, and to add to the fun, seeps in the cliffband covered all the footing with water or moss. Careful! The good news was that I was able to find a strong enough seep to fill my bottles without another step downward.
After I chugged 2 L to rehydrate, I filled another 6 L to haul back to the rim. Enough water for tonight and all day tomorrow. I packed a liter in each pocket of WD's packs, loaded my own and set off for the rim. The first obstacle proved too steep and wet for WD to negotiate with the added weight in his packs...obvious as he jumped to the top of a wet boulder, clawed fruitlessly, and then fell backwards into my lap covering my shorts in mud. Good dawg.
I removed his packs and gave him an assisted lift via his haul handle as he leapt again. Success! Smartly, he kept a good 20 yd distance on the climb up so I could not get his packs back on him...`lil weasel!
After much effort and much rest, I finally reached the ridge, made camp, and got settled in for the evening.
By all accounts a monotonous day on the ICT, but any day that is without any trouble is a good day indeed.
BrianAugust 16th
Started hiking by 6 am and busted out ~13 miles by 10:45...I am done with you FR 391! No more fantasizing about being on my motorcycle instead of in my boots!
During the morning walk I saw a few whitetail deer, a small herd of elk, and noticed wolf tracks in the dusty shoulder most of the morning. The fire that is burning SW of here has smoked up the skies a bit, and with a wind shift a faint scent of cinder is in the air.
A few miles before slaying FR 391 for good, I was passed by a very courteous family of ATV riders...all pulled to the side and cut their engines as I walked passed as well as returned my good morning.
WD and I took a short break at the end of the rd...did a little happy dance to celebrate being done with long rd walks for ~450 miles...with the anticipation of course that the coming trail is in decent shape! No doubt at some point in the coming weeks I will be thinking fondly of FR 391!
But...the moment is what is important and at this moment I am seated at a breezy saddle overlooking both Cliff and Diamond Lake with a full stomach (mostly) and a hazy view northward. Other than the breeze in the trees, I can faintly make out a few people splashing about in the waters of Cliff Lake below.
WD has parked himself beneath the shady boughs of a small fir and is snoring slightly.
Today marks an unofficial point for me...the completion of `Northern Idaho' and the introduction to `Central Idaho.' Not sure how that really pans out with regard to landscape/flora/fauna, etc but it feels that way to me and having consistent trails instead of roads is a big factor.
~9 miles on the schedule this afternoon before we arrive to camp at the Missoula Lake Campground... probably busy this weekend, but it is the closest water to the trail and reasonable end to a ~23 mile day.
The afternoon was pleasant all around. Big views over the eastern ridgeline, and subtle endless, purplish-gray distant ridges to the southwest. Being on trail always makes me feel like I have more energy and the legs kept turning over.
Dropping down from the ridge above Cliff Lake I passed ~10 equestrians. We chatted a spell and showed them my maps as they had missed their turn to Heart Lake. They were also camped at Missoula Lake and judging by the time they were having in the hills, earplugs were going to be mandatory this evening.
Pushing onward it was long but enjoyable afternoon contouring the high basins and ridges of Stateline Trail 738 in the Bitteroots.
We finally arrived at the jct to Missoula Lake and dropped down to the campground. I set up camp quick and then hustled down to the lake for a swim...the shallow waters had been sun warmed and the temps were perfect for a dip. It felt tremendous to clean away the trail dust and accumulated grit since Mullan. Lets hope the lakes find a way to get over the border, `cause thus far the good ones have been in Montana!
On the way back to camp I gathered water for the evening and for the ~18 dry miles ahead.
Before settling in for some second hand overheard conversation from other campground occupants, I wandered over to ask the equestrian folk if they'd haul out my ziploc full of trash. More than obliged to do so AND they gave me a fish fillet to eat. Thank you!
As much as I tend to poo-poo noisy campgrounds, I think I will try to appreciate it as I anticipate a few lonely nights ahead.
BrianAugust 17th
Strangely, last night I was reminded of my 5th grade performance of Guns n Roses "Sweet Child of Mine" during a talent show...not so much because I was feeling nostalgic, but more than likely due to the blaring truck speakers at 1:30 am of "Welcome to the Jungle." Just goes to show what a 24 pack of Keystone Light, a raging bonfire, and two 20-something couples can accomplish when they set their minds to it. Public camping at its finest!
Seeing as how I slept poorly, I got up and got moving earlier than normal. Early enough that I was able to gain some elevation and greet the sun. Excellent!
Stateline Trail 738 continued, climbing quickly toward Illinois Peak, a former fire lookout and rugged, steep sided behemoth from the north. Although steep in spots, the trail was fabulous, contouring when it could and climbing up through cliffbands among wildflowers. Patches of snow still clung to the steep couloirs that dropped from the peak.
Reaching a saddle, the views south outlined the craggy crest of the Bitteroots. It was going to be a good day of walking!
After a pleasant contour above St Joe Lake and a mellow descent to Hoodoo Pass, the trail climbed sharply for a few switchbacks before settling into a contour towards a trail jct with Heart Lake whose turquoise rimmed shoreline appeared very inviting. Quite a few day hikers out as well as a group of equestrians. I stopped for lunch well above Heart Lake with a nice view towards Pearl Lake and the surrounding peaks.
Just as WD and I settled into naptime, a mtn biker came barrelling down the trail which sent WD into a frenzy of sorts...no attack, but he was not happy about being awoken so abruptly!
With naptime now out of the question, we packed up and continued on, climbing steeply to an unnamed highpoint before beginning a descent to Goose Lake. As it was only about 2 pm, I had envisioned a nice swim at the lake...but the reality was a semi-stagnant pond! Bummer. Fortunately, moose like such spots and I was greeted by a Bull chomping lake side grass as I arrived. Unhurriedly he lumbered across the lake and disappeared into the brush along the opposite shore.
Seeing water, WD headed to the shore but was met with chest deep mud instead! He emerged half coated in muck, his quest for refreshment deterred.
Originally I had planned to cut the day short given the previous evenings auditory assault, but quickly changed my mind. After filling water containers, we headed back out, a steep climb to end the day on a dry ridgeline, but one that offered a promised sunset and sunrise for our effort.
In no particular hurry, we took our time, stopping frequently to catch our breathe and admire the views. Eventually, after much sweat was sweat the trail began to contour before climbing again to a grassy knoll. Huge views in all directions and a slight breeze to keep the bugs somewhat at bay.
Slightly troubling is that from this vantage I can see 2 plumes of smoke a few ridgelines distant. While I cannot determine the fires exact locale, the western of the plumes does appear as if it may come into play tomorrow. After a few miles tomorrow morning, things should become more obvious.
I'd be fortunate not to have to alter my rte plans somewhat given Idaho's typical summer fire season, but I am not going to rush to judgment until I get a better sense of things.
Despite a 7,000 ft+ elevation it is still very warm this evening...no sleeping bag.
Thanks for reading.
BrianAugust 18th
I awoke earlier from my ridgeline camp. The night was warm and the moon bright...kinda forgot about the moon as it has gone unnoticed from my typical camp in the forest. Good to see it!
Morning is my favorite time to be walking and this morning proved no different. I enjoyed the morning sun as it lit up the surrounding peaks even though its intensity was slightly muted due to the smoke in the air.
The eastern smoke plume seemed to have increased in size, and the western plume was fairly indistinct. Tough to get a read on things when the horizon is just a blah of smoke. Regardless I took note of their relative position and carried on. Judging by my maps I would not really get a good read on the fires position until Bruin Hill which was still ~10 miles away.
Stateline Trail 738 continued to impress with slightly exposed trail, big views, an interesting undulating nature, and a few very steep spots to keep me humble.
Shortly the trail left the crest and dropped through forested slopes to the well used shores of Fish Lake. A few campers from the weekend could be heard on the opposite shoreline. According to a FS sign, over 4,000 volunteer hrs have been spent building trail, establishing designated campsites, and cleaning up the place. Fish Lake is definitely a swimmer, but given the hr I refrained from a dip. I did take a short break to dump 2 gallons of water on a smoldering firepit before following the trail/rd around the lake to the continuation of 738 which climbed to a saddle above.
Saying goodbye to 738, I joined Bruin Hill Trail 490 which continued my long descent from 7k ft to 4k by the end of the day. It seemed the trail had been recently worked (also much different than mapped) as the water bars where cleaned out and fallen logs sawn. The trail contoured beautifully... crossing two creeklets on its downward glide.
Eventually the trail found a saddle before climbing ad contouring to Bruin Hill through shady, shallow drainages that were pretty overgrown. No worries though...the huckleberries were back and I was busy eating to care much about the trail conditions as I walked.
Cresting the southern shoulder of Bruin Hill I was able to get a good read on the fire situation. Now slightly behind me and to the NE were the eastern plumes...surprisingly close and surprisingly large! Glad I was heading south. The western plume that was indistinct earlier was now very obvious as it appeared just a ridge or two over from Kelly Creek which was 2k ft below me and my destination for the evening. Alright...free and clear...at least until tomorrow!
At Bruin Hill, the ICT bails down Hanson Ridge, but I either missed the jct or the trail is overgrown. Unfortunately I am not sure which as I did back track to try to find it, but had no luck. Admittedly I did not try too hard as the semi-recent trail maintenance continued and no matter where it went it seemed a sure bet! My thinking was that this would lead me down Little Moose Ridge and drop me directly into Kelly Creek Work Camp.
Of course best laid plans sometimes do not work out! At some point, as I followed well defined trail, I ended up dropping off the ridge (damned distractive huckleberries!) and continued downward. At some point I came out of my berry induced sugar shock to note my progress on the map.
Uhhh...this ain't right!
Fortunately I could just make out Molly's Thumb and kept that as a reference. The trail itself was odd as water bars had all recently been improved, but the vegetation was routinely over my head and required a good burst of forward momentum to break through. The footing was difficult as well, as the thick plant life obscured the view of my feet. Small steps to be safe, but big steps were needed to get over it all! Meanwhile, WD stayed close trying to move in my wake through the brush and nearly tripped me up a few times. But, as long as the trail went down, it had to dump into Kelly Creek so I continued to follow its obscure contours. Eventually I got a good read on a few landmarks and recognized that I was in Bear Creek. That was good, but I really had no idea where I left the ridgeline to do so. Either way, it did not matter, and around 3:30 pm WD and I emerged at Kelly Creek to be greeted by trail signs that said what we had just come down was in fact Bruin Hill Trail 490. Well...good. No mention of a Hanson Ridge Trail on the signs though.
Anyway, at the trail jct is a large horse packer camp...likely used in the fall for hunting season. Two storage sheds have loads of tarps, a propane tank, and misc pots, pans, and camp accessories. In addition, there are 3 log foundations with roof support poles close by that I am guessing get assembled as a kitchen, bunkhouse, and cafeteria. I've laid out my sleeping pad on the picnic table for the evening.
Stopping at this early hr has allowed me to do some laundry, get a good wash and rinse in Bear Creek, as well as pick some huckleberries as welcome addition to my grapenuts in the morning. Despite all the berries, I saw no sign or scat of Mr Bear once I dropped from Bruin Hill.
Based on my guess about the fire in play, I think I'll skirt it to the west tomorrow. ~7 miles to Kelly Creek Work Center, so if anything is closed due to the fire hopefully info will be posted there.
Thanks for reading.
BrianAugust 19th
Left camp just before 6 am and started the day with a flip-flop ford of Bear Creek. With my boots on, the 7 miles to Kelly Creek went by swiftly, slowly descending along and above the banks of clear watered Kelly Creek. Huckleberries and service berries were plentiful along the way and the trail was in fantastic shape.
At Kelly Creek I wandered down to the road intersection looking for posted fire information, and there was a note with a map outlining the current crop of fires...all prescribed burns and no threat to the ICT. Good news!
After a short break we began a ~4 mile rd walk up to the Scurvy Mtn Lookout ATV trail. The rd was well graded and the gained elevation was easy.
At the jct, the skies had darkened and the wind picked up as a storm began to blow in. I donned by rain jacket and began uphill, steeply at first but then settling into a fair gradient. The storm kept coming and the winds gusted strongly as the rain continued. I had intended to stop for water, but had no motivation to do so as I was more focused on staying warm.
WD was enjoying the drop in temperature though as the recent heat wave challenges his cooling abilities. In addition, he was also getting a good washing!
Just as we came up the trail jct for the Windy Bill Ridge Trail, the skies cleared up as the storm blew out. I jumped at the opportunity to eat a dry lunch.
After a quick lunch we continued on, descending through wet, overgrown trail. A bit rough going at times, but the rain brought out a freshness I had not yet smelled this trip. A spring appeared and I took the chance to hydrate and fill bottles...another unfiltered source. Shortly thereafter we came to Scurvy Saddle. A large blowdown obscured the trail, but with a bit of poking around it was easy to find.
From that point it was a slippery, wet, semi-overgrown whack along a ridge before beginning our ascent to Switchback Peak from a sunny, grassy saddle...at least I think so. Not too distinct up here!
Regardless it has been wonderful place to rest and dry out a bit. Before setting off, I walked a big circle around my pack and eventually found what I determined to be the correct trail. Pack on, we set out along the meadows eastern side before finding defined trail near the forests edge. The trail was steep and entrenched but soon honored its namesake and 18 switchbacks later we gained the ridgeline. Ah...fantastic views south and eastward as the trees thinned for a few moments.
A gradual ridgeline of openly spaced trees brought us to camp a few hrs later. An ample huckleberry supply and good trail made the afternoon all the better.
Camp tonight is just short of Windy Bill saddle, off trail a few yards in a small opening surrounded by unripe huckleberry, bear grass, and stands of creaking pine. Not quite breezy enough to keep the bugs in check though.
BrianAugust 20th
Standard procedure...on trail just before 6 am.
Immediately the day got off to an auspicious beginning as I veered right on good trail from Windy Bill Saddle. When the trail is good, I rarely think it could be wrong!
I did catch my mistake pretty quick, but decided if a jct was not obvious, the trail would likely suck. Instead of making an attempt to backtrack, I continued on, confident of a direction to hike. Just then the rain began.
Continuing on my merry way, the trail continued to be great...plenty of water, great contour. Eventually I came to an opening that I had identified earlier as being where I would make an effort to return to the ridgeline as the contours were friendly and the elevation to gain minimal. I swung left on good game trail and within 10 mins found the trail on the ridge...of course overgrown, vague, and at times so entrenched that the wet vegetation was face high. Splendid! I did debate as to returning to the well maintained, well traveled trail below...trying to convince myself that a trail that good MUST surely lead to a intersection with signage. Of course it could also not! So, I manned up and began my ridgeline whack along the ICT...and it continued to rain.
Popping out of the weeds for a quick view, low clouds were rolling in heavy as I descending an open shoulder along vague trail. Bingo! Back on well groomed singletrack. No doubt the continuation of the trail I was on before...
The remainder of the morning was a gradual descent along recently maintained trail until I found my jct down to Windy Creek...on not so well maintained trail! It's not that the trail tread is bad, its just that there is considerable vegetation that makes it slower going...even the more so when it is wet. And, it continued to rain.
The afternoon brought us down to Windy Creek, a few shallow fords, past a large outfitters camp, and eventually the Upper Weitas Creek Pack Bridge after a long descent. And it continued to rain...
Next up was a 4 mile, 2600 ft climb to Liz Butte Lookout where I was hoping to stop for the evening. At this point we'd only stopped for ~30 mins all day. Rain is not conducive to me taking long breaks and after 10 mins, WD and I were shivering anyway. Being as it were, I was not paying much attention to the amount of water I had. Plenty of it around for WD and I was peeing often enough. In times like these, with minimal gear resources, I find it best to keep moving and grind the miles out.
The climb was steady and slow but thankfully well switchbacked as well as lined with huckleberries. I was hoping I might be lucky enough to find a unmanned lookout at Liz Butte to get out of the elements, but was also cautiously optimistic about the idea.
Finally the ICT popped us out on a graded rd. I turned, amazingly found a spring, filled bottles, and then continued up the road...10 mins later I stood, mouth agape at my luck! Although the fire lookout was only a foundation, there was a small cabin! Mercy on me...the door was not locked and inside was a well kept interior with beds, cupboards, and most importantly a wood stove! Salvation!
Before anything else I got the woodstove cranking out some heat then hung up all my gear...most of which was wet from the day of continuous rain.
So, here I sit in a chair, warm, dry, and watching it continue to rain, rain, rain. All my gear may get wet tomorrow, but it'll all be dry tonight!
There is also a journal here, so it has been fun to read through entries from previous visitors and add my own.
I hope this storm blows through tonight, but based on my good fortune this evening, my luck may have already been used up!
This last stretch of trail has been fatiguing.The combination of heavy loads leaving Mullan, semi-rugged terrain, and the heat last week have started to catch up with me. My legs are pretty flat on the climbs despite a light load at this point. WD seems more energetic than I, but he most certainly happy to stop when we do!
Although my next re-supply is only 3 days away, our next rest day is not for another week. Normally if I am tired, I listen to my body and simply stop. However, having WD along, our rest days are more scheduled since I need to have food around for him or at least a place I can buy some...which, last I checked was not readily available in the wilderness of central Idaho.
Lastly I did a quick dog food inventory for the remaining days to Moose Creek, and it appears WD is going to be on half ration for the next few days...or maybe more accurately I'll be sharing some of my food with him. Not sure how the shortage came to pass, but it is what it is.
So on we walk...
Thanks for reading.
BrianAugust 21st
In the spirit of Lewis and Clark's affinity for naming every camp, and seeing as I crossed their path this morning, I hereby designate August 21 as:
Fingers are too stiff and cold to type tonight Camp.
Full update tomorrow.
BrianAugust 22nd
Alright, while I am not really motivated to write this evening, once I get behind on journals I never start back up. So...the last two days:
Yesterday, 8/21 found me leaving the comfortable confines of Liz Butte cabin into the gray murk of the morning. Had I had an extra days worth of the food, I'd have taken a layover day. But alas...onward I went.
A few miles of a rd walk to the Lolo Motorway, along it past the Nez Perce Trail and then bailed down the No-see-um Meadows trail to HWY 12. Thankfully the last slab of pavement I will cross in ~250 miles. The trail down was typical of the region...lush and therefore overgrown and very very wet to walk through. Hurray! I've found that trails between places of greater interest are typically suffering from lack of use or maintenance, and this trail seemed no exception.
~7 miles later I crossed HWY 12 and entered the Wilderness Gateway Campground where the TH's to head into the Selway Bitteroot Wilderness Area are located. I met a few equally soggy bicycle tourers (with a dog) that I talked to briefly. Two gals headed home to Virginia, and a gentleman headed back to Colorado.
Judging by the weather and the elevation gained in the coming miles along the ICT, I opted for a slightly shorter trail that was initially lower elevation to get me up to Shasta Lake by evening. I was wet, WD was wet, and the last thing either of needed was to be caught on a windy ridge at elevation for a night. A light pack has its advantages, but sometimes you have to objectively judge exactly what you came prepared for. So, the intent was to get up elevation fast, and then drop to Shasta Lake for the night.
But...we all know about intentions! I made slower progress than I had hoped as we climbed gradually towards Stanley Hotsprings and Boulder Creek which was a knee deep ford with WD in my arms. He has a tendency to do dynamic leaps in an attempt to stay dry, but the chance of injury seems great (to me) so I opted to carry him.
After the hotsprings (which I ignored) we began the long climb to Seven Lakes. It was quite steep, it continued to rain, and we both continued to get wet. With the afternoon quickly passing I realized that my goal of Shasta Lake was highly unlikely. Plan B...keep climbing to a saddle and make camp for the evening. Determination is useful at times, but no sense in being stupid.
Unfortunately, the trail on my map and the trail on the ground differed slightly. Instead of reaching the saddle, the trail continued on a climbing contour beneath the ridge. Finding a place to camp was out o the question as sleeping at a 30 degree angle is difficult to say the least. So we plugged away in the rain and dropping temps with hopes of finding something flat and large enough for my shelter.
Thoroughly soaked, such a spot finally appeared. I initially passed it thinking that we may as well continue to the lake to camp seeing as how it was close. But..crossing a creek and seeing yet another wall of head high, rain drenched vegetation made me think more clearly and I turned around. At this point my hands were basically claws so stiff and cold I could not even tear open an energy bar...even with the assistance of the `tear here' cut! WD was in a similar state...shivering hard and generally appearing miserable. I quickly got the shelter up, got WD fed, on his foam pad and covered with a piece of plastic, my rain jacket, and my rain skirt...trying to create a vapor barrier for him to retain some warmth. Next, I went through my own checklist...get in dry clothes, get in sleeping bag, eat, eat, eat.
Once done, I settled down a bit as I felt warm for the most part but was concerned for WD who was still shivering now and again.
The night passed slow...intermittent bursts of rainfall. At some point I awoke and noticed shadows cast on the walls of the shelter...Yes! The moon was out. Clear skies tomorrow perhaps?
BrianAugust 22nd continued...
A cool morning eventually came and I packed up as quick as I could, gritting my teeth as I put on wet, cold shorts and boots. A harsh wake up. Finally got moving just after 6 am, intent on hauling ass to the sunshine that I could see above me...
Salvation! The sun rays met my face and my spirits lifted as did my body temp! I kept hiking though as the trail contoured into the shadows and along the shores of vapor heavy lakes. Finally I crested a ridgeline and was able to bask in the sun of the morning.
Views were great in every direction with jagged peaks to the south and deep drainages to the north...most of the high slopes speckled with granite slabs. To the east, the clouds were lifting as they warmed and spilled over ridgelines into the valleys below. Quite spectacular until I recognized that those same clouds were in the valleys I'd be descending into! Curses! They had better keep lifting...
A bit further along, I came to a windy, sunny saddle and decided to take the opportunity to dry out all my gear. 45 mins later I felt much better about facing another wet evening.
The afternoon passed quickly with a brief stop for lunch at Two Lakes. The sun was holding out, and the day was very pleasant.
Next up was a ~5 mile descent to the jct of Rhoda and Grotto Creeks. The trail was there, but vague...easy enough to follow along the ridge but easy to lose if your mind wandered.
Down we went, getting back into thick vegetation and ripe berries.
After crossing Grotto Creek, the trail basically disappeared beneath the charcoaled remains of fire fallen timber. The ground was muddy and loose after the rain, and each length of burnt tree would or would not support my weight...a real guessing game and one that resulted in very slow and deliberate walking. Despite finding bits and pieces of the trail, it was really much easier to simply parallel the creek and make due. At Lizard Creek the ICT is supposed to cross Rhoda Creek and head up the Lizard Creek drainage. Good idea, but that intersection does not exist as far as I could tell. The trail (as mapped) then crosses Lizard, before contouring and switching back towards the peaks above. I figure I'd simply cross the creek and then head uphill until I came across the trail. That seemed the easiest option find to the rte. Unfortunately all the slopes above me were burnt as well so the going was slow.
Despite the terrain and countless false game trails, I did manage to find a retaining wall and trail which I managed to follow for a few dozen yards. Bits and pieces would emerge as I tried to follow a level contour across two drainages thinking that if I could make it out of the burned area I'd be good. The going was brutal and really not the safest thing to be doing. If I found good trail than the effort and risk would be justified, if not, I did have the resources to do this for the next 20 miles! So, decision time, and I decided to retreat to Rhoda Creek and head out the drainage to the NF of Moose Creek, and then on out the EF of Moose Creek to the Selway River and my ranger station resupply. I was uncertain of the mileage but was hopeful the trail would at least exist. The retreat from the slopes above Rhoda was very tricky...again, downed, brittle timber and thick creekside brush. Ugh. Perfect training for those of us that need to work on being more patient.
WD was noticeably fatigued and I was mentally drained when we finally re-emerged and crossed Rhoda Creek again. The northern bank of Rhoda (where trail is supposed to be) was much the same, burnt and tricky walking. Trudging on, the goal simply became to move downstream. Forget the trail!
With that in mind I made decent, but slow progress. By this point it was ~2 hrs past our normal quitting time and I thought it best not to be hiking streamside at dusk. I found a small mossy bench and threw out the sleeping pad and called it a night.
A pretty hellacious day on the ICT, but it least it did not rain!
I went to sleep with a vague idea of my location, a vague idea of the distance to get where I needed to be, and no idea what was in store for us with regard to trail.
Strangely, that lack of knowledge was liberating to a certain degree...
Happy Birthday to my brother and wife who share August 22 in celebration!
BrianAugust 23rd
Left my mossy ledged camp and headed down Rhoda Creek, anxious for the junction of the NF of Moose Creek with hopes of better trail conditions.
The morning was a roller coaster emotionally. I was really at my end with regard to poor trail...tired of bushes whacking me, tired of bleeding shins, and simply mentally fatigued from concentrating on the basic act of walking. At one point I decided to count how many steps I could walk without having to stop for an obstruction...I decided against continuing to do so though as over the course of 20 mins, the max was 17...slow going.
Fortunately the hope of better trail was fulfilled and after a long ford of the NF, we were starting to make better time. About midday we stopped at a rocky beach, filtered water, had lunch, and dried out some gear. It was a welcome break and helped re-shift my perspective on the day.
Eventually we climbed to a bench above the NF into open meadows where I could spot the Shissler Peak Fire Lookout far above me just before crossing the EF of Moose Creek on a large suspension bridge. Easy, well trod trail led to the Historic Moose Creek Ranger Station and Backcountry Airstrip and I was anxious to arrive and get my resupply box. Strangely, no ranger was around, so I cleaned up a bit, drank some water, and took a nap thinking they'd be back at some point.
2 hrs later still no sign of the ranger and after knocking on doors and peering through windows I was growing a bit concerned. No food, no maps, and ~80 miles between me and my next re-supply!
I noticed a number of planes parked off the airstrip so I wandered down to talk with the pilots and passengers to check if they knew the rangers whereabouts. No luck, they'd arrived yesterday and not seen anyone.
After I explained my situation they assured me that they had enough food between them (as well as dog food!) that getting me what I'd need for the coming miles would not be problematic...but maps were still an issue. Slightly relieved, but still frustrated I re-visited the ranger station to double check for a note, an unlocked door or an open window. Still no luck, but on a final sweep of the office building I noticed a stairwell to a basement door. Unlocked! And there was my box on the shelf! A major sigh of relief... Before leaving the ranger station for the campsites by the airstrip, I met a fellow who had just flown in and also had hiked ~600 miles of the PCT back in '73 when he was 16...actually grew up in the same town as Eric Ryback! Small, small world...
Re-packed I headed back down to the airstrip where I was welcomed again by the aviators...this time with home smoked salmon and the promise of a steak for dinner!
All was delicious as was the salad, corn, home- pickled beets, the raspberry pie, and most importantly the company! Everyone was lighthearted and much laughter ensued. All three groups of pilots were from the SLC Valley and this was an annual trip.
After that course I went ahead and had my normal dinner, as well as a few strips of Beef Brisket from a pilot for South Dakota. Mmmmmm, MEAT!
WD faired well also...numerous dog treats and a few pieces of beef brisket as well.
All said a caloricly intense evening and again I was touched by the graciousness and hospitality of total strangers...very, very nice to be reminded of.
Also new to me was the concept of `plane camping' which these folks were well versed in. I was awestruck that a few hrs after leaving SLC, they could be in the middle the Selway Bitteroot Wilderness grilling steak and spending the weekend in one of the most remote spots in the Lower 48! Could be time to investigate a pilots license...
Brian
